Phillies 8, Mets 1

PHILADELPHIA – Gavin Floyd the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft, made the most of his major league debut, holding the Mets to four hits over seven innings Friday night to give the Philadelphia Phillies an 8-1 victory and send New York to its seventh straight loss.

Pat Burrell helped him out, homering in his first game since Aug. 3, Jason Michaels homered twice and Placido Polanco also homered for the Phillies, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Floyd, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound righty, showed the poise of a veteran, using a nasty curveball to keep the Mets off balance and never seemed rattled during his few jams. He walked four and struck out five.

Floyd (1-0) was a noted high-ball pitcher in the minor leagues and there was some concern about how he would adjust in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. It turned out there was little to worry about.

Floyd silenced those concerns, for one game at least, getting only five flyball outs and three ground-ball double plays. All three of the double plays wiped out leadoff singles.

Leading 3-1 in the seventh, Floyd got Wilson Delgado to strike out looking – again on the curve – to end a threat.

Floyd’s only mistake was a two-out solo homer to Eric Valent in the third.

The Mets, coming off a 1-10 homestand, have lost 12 of 13.

The Phillies planned to move Floyd through the system slowly and use him sparingly in September. When fans flooded talk radio this summer wondering when Floyd would join the rotation, the Phillies never wavered even when injuries crippled the rotation.

They turned to journeyman Paul Abbott – with disappointing results – and traded for Cory Lidle – who did little in his first three starts before tossing a shutout Aug. 29.

The Phillies fell out of the pennant race and when Randy Wolf went on the disabled list this week, they finally turned to Floyd.

Now, this month could be an audition for Floyd. The Phillies could use a starter next year with Eric Milton and Kevin Millwood both eligible for free agency.

Despite the buzz surrounding the start, Floyd was only 25-27 in the minor leagues and just 7-9 this year in stops at Double-A Reading and Triple-A Scranton.

In 25 starts between the two levels, the 21-year-old Floyd pitched 149 2-3 innings, struck out 112 and walked 55.

Michaels staked him to a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo homer, then Valent tied it in the third.

Burrell gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a homer off Heath Bell (0-2), his 24th. He started in left field less than six weeks after his season appeared over because of a wrist injury. Burrell also walked twice and scored two runs.

The Phillies erupted for five runs in the seventh, with Michaels and Polanco each hitting two-run homers. David Bell added a sacrifice fly.

Notes: Phillies RF Bobby Abreu stole a career-high three bases. He matched his season high total of 36 set in 2001. … Michaels had his first career multi-homer game. … Mets starter Matt Ginter left after one inning with a sprained right ankle.

AP-ES-09-03-04 2155EDT